WSOC Academic All-America

Austin, Texas----Wingate University junior defender Laura Holt has hauled in another major award, earning third team Academic All-America accolades from the College Sports Communicators (CSC). The CSC released the soccer Academic All-America teams Wednesday afternoon. Holt earns Academic All-America accolades for the first time in her career.

The Bulldogs now have 155 all-time Academic All-America selections, with 146 since 2000. Wingate is second in all of NCAA Division II during that time, while leading all North Carolina schools during the millennium. The 'Dogs are also the all-time SAC leaders in Academic All-America honorees. Holt gives Wingate women's soccer six Academic All-America award winners all-time. She is the first in the program to earn Academic accolades since Abbey Frail was a first team selection in 2019.

Holt has had a big junior season, highlighted by being named the 2024 SAC Defensive Player of the Year. The first team All-SAC honoree also earned first team All-Region recognition from the D2CCA.

Holt helped lead the Bulldogs to the first regular season title in program history. The 'Dogs went 12-4-3 overall, with a 9-1-1 record in league play. Wingate earned its third consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Holt helped the 'Dogs rank among the league leaders in goals-against average all season. Wingate finished the year with a 1.21 goals-against average while piling up eight shutouts on the season. Holt and the Bulldogs rounded out the season by going 7-0-1 in the final eight SAC contests, a streak that saw the 'Dogs allow just five goals during the eight-game span.

Holt started all 19 games for the SAC champs, playing nearly 1700 minutes on the year while leading the team in minutes played. In addition to anchoring one of the league's top defenses, Holt contributed a goal and two assists. She scored a goal in the Newberry victory, while notching assists at Carson-Newman and against LMU in the SAC Tournament semifinals.

Holt has gotten it done in the classroom during her time at Wingate University, posting a 3.94 GPA while majoring in Sociology. She has been a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll each of the first two years, while making the Wingate President's List every semester at Wingate.

College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® program

The College Sports Communicators (CSC) began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, have recognized thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors.
 
Currently, the CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men's and women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the at-large program.

The Academic All-America® program is comprised of divisional teams for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. Added for the 2018-19 academic year was a separate at-large program for two-year schools and Canadian institutions. Members at two-year schools, Canadian institutions and any other institution not affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA nominate their student-athletes in all sports during the spring nomination period.

For more information about the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® teams program, please visit AcademicAllAmerica.com or the Academic All-America® home page on collegesportscommunicators.com.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 26 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 16 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.